IHSAA Media Release

February 12, 2002

Contact: Jerry Baker

E-mail: jbaker@ihsaa.org

Phone: 317-846-6601

2002 INDIVIDUAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENT SERIES STATE FINALS INFO

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis Ticket Information Session: $7.00 Season: $15.00

Friday, Feb. 15, Session I: 6 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 16, Session II: 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 16, Session III: Consolations at 5 p.m.; Finals at 7:30 p.m.

Format: A total of 224 wrestlers (16 in each weight class) will compete over two days for a state championship in each of the 14 weight classes.

A total of 28 contestants enter the state finals with unblemished records. The 189-pound weight division sports the most unbeaten wrestlers, with a total of four, including defending champion, Nathan Moore of Perry Meridian with a 46-0 mark. Glen Suding, a senior from East Central, sports the best record in that division at 48-0.

Five wrestlers hit the half-century mark and had perfect records for the 2001-02 season, led by Nic May (55-0), a 112 pound junior from Peru, along with Andrae Hernandez (55-0), a sophomore from Griffith in the 125 pound class and his teammates Alex Tsirtsis (55-0), also a sophomore with the Panthers, in the 130 division and Angel Escobedo (54-0), a freshman who wrestles at 112. Matt Jaggers (53-0), a New Castle junior, is perfect at 53-0 in the 119 pound class.

Evansville Mater Dei has the most individual qualifiers, bringing 10 teammates to the mats at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Seven defending champions return, though not necessarily in the same weight class:

Name	Wt.This Yr	Wt.Last Yr
Michael Escobedo, Lake Central	152 (46-0)	145
Blake Maurer, Evansville Mate Dei	145 (39-1)	130
Nathan Moore, Perry Meridian	189 (46-0)	189
Jake O’Brien, Franklin Central	215 (35-4)	215
Alex Tsirtsis, Griffith	130 (55-0)	119
Craig Weinzapfel, Ev. Mater Dei	130 (17-2)	112
Danny Williams, Warren Central	140 (31-3)	135

MEDIA WORK ROOM

As in previous years, the media workroom at Conseco Fieldhouse will open at 4 p.m. on Friday and be available to working media members throughout Friday evening and all day on Saturday. The work area contains complimentary phones that will accept credit card and 800 calls. Soft drinks and snacks will be available.

First-round pairings are available on the IHSAA website. Season records are included for each of the 224 wrestlers who will compete.

Results will be posted on the IHSAA website continuously throughout the two days of competition. The results will be listed under Wrestling/2001 Individual State Finals Results.

Directions -- Conseco Fieldhouse is located in the southeast quadrant of downtown Indianapolis, one block east of Meridian Street and two blocks south of Washington Street. It sits between Pennsylvania and Delaware streets, which parallel each other and Meridian Street. Delaware Street is one way north bound; Pennsylvania Street is one way south bound.

Public Entrance -- The public may enter from Pennsylvania Street or Delaware Street into a common lobby.

Media Entrance -- To gain admittance, the 2001-02 IHSAA State Finals Media Pass is required. The entrance is in the southeast corner of Conseco Fieldhouse adjacent to Delaware Street. The door is marked Media and Employee Entrance. This is at the opposite end of the building from the public entrance. Note: Please allow sufficient time to pass through security.

Parking -- Media and public parking is available near Conseco Fieldhouse. The nearest parking garage is the Virginia Avenue Garage, located directly east of Conseco Fieldhouse and accessible via Delaware Street.

64 TEAMS ADVANCE TO GIRLS BASKETBALL REGIONALS

A field of 64 sectional champions returns to action Saturday, Feb. 16, for regional competition at 16 sites in the 27^th Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament.

At each site, three games will be played, with the first contest scheduled for 10:00 a.m., the 2^nd game at Noon and the championship matchup at 8:00 p.m. The four regional champions will move on to semi-state competition Saturday, Feb. 23, at four sites.

Scottsburg and Valparaiso are the all-time leaders in regionals won, with 10. The Warriorettes picked up their last title in 1995. The Vikings grabbed their last regional crown in 2000. Bedford North Lawrence, Ben Davis, Kokomo, and NorthWood all have nine regional championships.

Only three of the top 10 teams in Class 4A made it through the sectional round, led by top-ranked Bloomington South. Four of the top 10 in 3A survived, including No. 1 Alexandria. In 2A, eight of the top 10 managed to make it through the opening salvo, with the leaders of the pack, Southwestern (Hanover) and Triton Central, still heading toward Conseco Fieldhouse. In Class A, eight members of the top 10 managed a trip to regional play this Saturday, with North Vermillion showing the way from its perch as the best in that division.

Three of last year’s champions are still alive. Ben Davis is back to defend its 4A crown. Indianapolis Cathedral, the winner in 3A in 2001, has moved up to 4A and is still playing. And the 2A titleholder, Ft. Wayne Bishop Luers, is still searching for another championship, although this time in the 3A field. The only champ to fall was Triton, as the Trojans lost to North Judson 60-49 in the final game of the LaVille Sectional.

All-Time Regional Win Leaders Last

Scottsburg	10	1995
Valparaiso	10	2000
Bedford North Lawrence	9	1992
Ben Davis	9	2001
Kokomo	9	2001
NorthWood	9	1999
Anderson	8	1994
Columbia City	8	2000
Huntington North	8	2000
Rushville	8	1995
Benton Central	7	1992
Crown Point	7	1997
Ft. Wayne Northrop	7	1994
Mooresville	7	1985

Current List of Girls State Scoring Leaders

Current List of Girls State Season Best Performances

Current List of Boys State Scoring Leaders

Current List of Boys State Season Best Performances

Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association

FINAL 2002 REGULAR SEASON POLL

CLASS 4A

Rank	School	Record	Regional	vs
1.	Bloomington South	22-0	Bedford North Lawrence	New Albany
2.	Lawrence North		out
3.	Terre Haute South	21-2	Bedford North Lawrence	Castle
4.	Indianapolis Cathedral	21-2	Southport	Perry Meridian
5.	Kokomo		out
6.	Jennings County		out
7.	Wawasee		out
8.	Noblesville		out
9.	Jeffersonville		out
10	North Central (Indpls)		out

CLASS 3A

Rank	School	Record	Regional	vs
1.	Alexandria	24-0	Greenfield-Central	South Dearborn
2.	Brebeuf Jesuit	23-2	Greenfield-Central	Tipton
3.	Vincennes Lincoln		out
4.	Fort Wayne Concordia	22-1	Peru	Ft. Wayne Luers
5.	Angola		out
6.	Shelbyville		out
7.	Northwestern	21-2	Twin Lakes	Andrean
8.	Beech Grove		out
9.	Leo		out
10.	Frankfort		out

CLASS 2A

Rank	School	Record	Regional	vs
1.	Southwestern (Hanover)	21-2	Forest Park	Mitchell
1t.	Triton Central	22-1	Speedway	Fountain Central
3.	North Judson	22-1	Triton	Wabash
4.	Fremont	21-3	Triton	North Newton
5.	North Knox		out
6.	Indian Creek		out